


Points of Comparison

by TwilightKnight17



Category: Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth, Persona Series
Genre: Akira is baffled by the Velvet Room, Gen, Hamuko loves her adopted crew, no PQ2 spoilers, no beta we die like men, p5 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 22:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20089750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightKnight17/pseuds/TwilightKnight17
Summary: What makes us different might make all the difference.If we can remember long enough to put it to use.





	Points of Comparison

The Velvet Room as a projection room was a bizarre contrast to the unforgiving prison he was used to. Akira was surprised that the twins would even use the camera equipment for fusion, rather than coming up with something more brutal, but perhaps it was the presence of their older siblings that was keeping them in check.

Those siblings, though, were even more of a surprise. When they’d first made an appearance, Akira had expected more of the same harsh treatment that he was subjected to. But watching Hamuko and Theodore, and Minato and Elizabeth, and Yu and Margaret… All of their relationships were different, but all of them were also clearly friendly. No matter how frustrated any of them got, there was no anger there.

“What’s going on, Akira-kun?” Hamuko asked, hopping up on the snack bar counter beside where he was standing. Theodore made a flustered noise from behind the counter, but Hamuko just kicked her feet lazily. Across the room, Elizabeth and Margaret had cornered Yu and Minato, and while they were too far away to hear exactly what was being talked about, the fondly exasperated smile on Minato’s face meant it was probably something ridiculous.

Akira watched them, then sighed. “I don’t understand,” he admitted. The twins were in the Velvet Room, so he felt safe enough to speak his mind. “All of you are friends with your attendants. How?”

“Caroline and Justine do seem to be kind of mean to you,” Hamuko said. “I don’t know why you’re treated like a prisoner. Theo has always looked out for me.”

“My sisters are quite fond of their guests as well,” Theodore chimed in. “I cannot think of a reason to treat a Wild Card like that.”

Akira looked at the floor. Thankfully his friends were distracted with other things; they didn’t need to see him acting gloomy, especially not now that their team was so much larger. Hamuko felt...safe, though, somehow. Maybe because they both knew what it was like to feel isolated. “I’m just glad Igor isn’t here,” he said. “At least the twins are a little soft if you can get them in just the right mood. Igor is just… I don’t know. He just makes me anxious.”

Hamuko and Theodore exchanged a look. “I-I’m sorry,” Theodore began, uncertain. “I’m sure that our master doesn’t intend to cause discomfort…”

“He’s a little weird, but from what I’ve seen while we’ve been here, Elizabeth is a lot weirder,” Hamuko laughed.

“He’s not just weird!” Akira objected. “He’s creepy! All of that cryptic bullshit in that deep voice… I don’t know if he wants to help me or just watch me like a bug in a jar. I just feel like all of this rehabilitation is some sort of entertainment for him.”

“Deep voice?” Hamuko frowned. “Igor doesn’t have a deep voice. He’s got this sort of higher, light voice. Like a grandpa.”

Something wasn’t right about that. “He doesn’t where I come from,” Akira said. “He’s got this really deep, scary voice and keeps talking about how I’m supposed to avert ruin. But he won’t tell me what that is. He just keeps acting like he’s looking forward to seeing bad things happen to me.”

“He shouldn’t…” Hamuko murmured. “He’s never been glad to see something bad happen… What’s the rest of your Room like?”

Akira explained about the prison, the cells, the executions. The more he described, the more horrified Hamuko and Theodore looked, and finally Theodore burst out, “That’s completely wrong! You shouldn’t have to…to torture your inner selves to gain more power! We’re meant to encourage growth, not frighten our guests!”

“I don’t want to freak you out or anything,” Hamuko said awkwardly. “But...it sounds like there’s something really wrong with your Velvet Room. The Igor that I know would never have a setup like that. The room reflects our hearts, and you...you don’t have a violent heart, Akira. I’ve only known you for a short time, but I’m sure of that.”

Akira thought of a thousand voices, jeeringly calling him _delinquent_ and wondering if he was planning to stab them. He thought of knives in the dark and shadows begging at his feet. He thought of, deep down, almost _wanting_ to see Ann torch Kamoshida. He thought, and he wondered.

“Akira-kun.” Hamuko called him back. “I mean it. You’re a good person. Just like Yu-kun, Minato-kun… I don’t know what’s wrong with your Velvet Room, but it doesn’t define you. Your heart may feel imprisoned, but you’re not the sort of person who would conjure that kind of fusion. I know it.” 

“If something is wrong…” Akira murmured. “I have to confront him, don’t I? If he’s that different… Do you… Do you think he’s some sort of fake?”

“I don’t know,” Hamuko said. “But you don’t have to do this alone. I know your team doesn’t really understand the Room, but I do. Minato and Yu do. And Tokyo’s a train ride away. If you need us, once we all go back to our own times, we can still come to help you.”

“...I know you have to go home to your friends, but I wish you could stay with us,” Akira blurted. “You’ve been a great phantom thief.”

Hamuko looked surprised for a second, then beamed. “I’ve had so much fun,” she said. “Even when things were scary or upsetting. You guys welcomed me into your group without a second thought, and made me feel like I was part of the team. It...really made it less scary to be here, knowing I wasn’t alone. So… thank you, Akira-kun. I don’t know what I would have done without you guys.”

She hopped down from the counter to throw her arms around him, and Akira hugged back without hesitation, letting her bury her face in his shoulder. He was still surprised how close they’d all become in such a short time. Maybe it was a Wild Card thing. Or maybe a persona-user thing in general, considering how quickly the rest of the team had bonded as well.

He caught a glimpse of Theodore watching them with a fond smile, but before he could say anything, the attendant turned away, busying himself with rearranging empty popcorn buckets. So he let it go, soaking in the hug until Hamuko pulled back.

“C’mon, leader,” she said brightly. “We’re almost done with this movie, and then we’ll finally be able to go home.”

Akira nodded. There was still so much to do, even after they escaped. But maybe, if he followed through on these new suspicions… Maybe he could find a way to make it through November with his team in one piece.

**Author's Note:**

> And then they forget everything because PQ games are cruel. (I'm on the final boss and it's cruel too. XD)
> 
> I understand why they can't have major plot-critical main game stuff in a side game (hence no chibi Black Mask or chibi Ryoji or many other things), but also it means that there's some missed opportunities for some truly remarkable conversations because of the different things all of them know. I really love how much Hamuko just clicked with the Thieves, though. It was adorable.


End file.
